Cricket: Savage does the damage for Cutthorpe at Denby

Cutthorpe 108-5

Cutthorpe took another step towards safety with a comprehensive victory over relegation rivals Denby which sees them having taken maximum points in three of their last four games.

Having arrived to an excellent looking pitch it was no surprise on home turf that Denby, having won the toss, elected to bat first.

However, this suited Cutthorpe who had built recent success on the excellent bowling of Josh Savage and Asad Butt.

As in the previous weeks demolition of Chesterfield, Butt was to take a wicket in the first over, nipping one past the outside edge of Chapman Lilley for a duck.

Alex Eyre was joined by Denby skipper Michael Mitchell and they looked to see off the new ball but both were to fall LBW to Savage, Eyre the first to go for 16 and soon after the unfortunate Mitchell, who appeared to edge the ball onto his pads, for 13.

Soon after, Savage got his third with the big wicket of ex Derbyshire all-rounder Pete Burgoyne, caught behind by Paul Burdett.

This had left Cutthorpe in an excellent position with the hosts 40-4, however, Denby overseas player Brett Randell (18) came out with real intent, striking a number of boundaries early in his innings.

It wasn’t to last as Butt (2-32) found the outside edge and it was safely taken at second slip by Sufian Munir. By this time Dan Burgyone seemed to be playing a lone hand as wickets tumbled around him.

Despite a couple of boundaries, Joe Greenhalgh (8) managed to a glove a ball from Jake Bingham (1-19) and he was well caught again by Burdett down the leg side.

After this, Savage was brought back into the attack and he proceeded to blow the Denby lower order away.

He bowled Fraser Kirk (8) with an unplayable ball, pegging back the off stump. Andy Knowles (1-14), who had been accurate from one end as the carnage unfolded at the other, got in on the act, luring Jack Stone into a rash drive through the off side and he was well caught by John McCollum at mid off.

It was left to Savage to well and truly return to form, as he pinned Simon Mann on the crease LBW for a duck and then bowled Burgoyne for a battling 25 to finish the innings on 105, Savage’s figures an excellent 6-35 from 12.2 overs.

With the overs gained Cutthorpe were left with 66 overs to knock off the runs. After a wide with the first delivery of the innings, unfortunately the jitters started for the visitors when Matt Cluer nicked Randell (1-33) to the keeper without scoring.

This brought Munir to the crease on the back of his century the week before. He took the attack to the Denby bowlers immediately, hitting three boundaries in his first four balls. When Kevin Leatherday then hit his first ball for six down the ground off the spin of Pete Burgoyne and Munir continued to latch onto anything loose, the score was soon 50-1 from just five overs.

Munir raced to an excellent half century off just 34 balls before a slight collapse prolonged the innings. Leatherday edged Burgoyne (1-34) to first slip for eleven.

Munir (59) then went for one shot too many and was caught at mid on by Mitchell off the bowling of Jack Richardson (1-13), Ed Barlow was dubiously given out when he looked to be home taking a quick single and Jake Bingham was caught at first slip off the bowling of Kirk (1-13).

During this, Burdett had continued to look assured in making 23* and in partnership with Butt (9*) the pair got Cutthorpe over the line in just 20.2 overs for another 27 point haul.

Cutthorpe now sit seventh in the Premier League on 208 points with five games to go, 44 points clear of the relegation places. Another huge game this week sees them host Lullington Park who currently sit in the bottom two, 12:30 start.